A label printer is a printer having a function that, for example, prints desired information on each of a plurality of labels adhered temporarily on a liner sheet of a long shape that constitutes a continuous paper while unwinding a rolled continuous paper (print medium) to feed along a feed path (medium feed path) in a sheet-shape.
In the label printer, there is installed a paper sheet supply unit (medium supply unit), which supplies the continuous paper, a supporting stand, which has a platen roller feeding the continuous paper supplied from the paper sheet supply unit along the feed path, and a printing unit, which has a thermal head (printing head) printing the desired information on the label of the continuous paper.
Here, examples of the printer installed with the thermal head include: a thermal transfer printer, which prints predetermined information by nipping an ink ribbon and the continuous paper with the thermal head and the platen roller to melt the ink of the ink ribbon with a heat generated by the thermal head, and transfer and fix the melted ink on a printing paper sheet; and a thermal printer, which prints predetermined information not via the ink ribbon but by providing the heat of the thermal head directly on a thermosensitive continuous paper.
When the continuous paper is supplied in the thermal transfer printer, a printing failure, such as a lack of printing, may be caused if the continuous paper with dust powders adhered is supplied to an inside of the printer, and the printing operation using the ink ribbon is performed on the continuous paper with the dust powders adhered.
On the other hand, as for the thermal printer, which does not use the ink ribbon, dust powders may be deposited in the proximity of heating body of the thermal head to cause a printing failure and a short service life of the thermal head.
Therefore, it is necessary to remove the adhered dust powders by opening the printing unit to expose the thermal head to clean the thermal head periodically.
When no improvement of the printing failure is observed even after the thermal head cleaning, the thermal head may have reached its service life. In this case, it is necessary to replace the thermal head with the new one.
It should be noted that JP2007-301869A, for example, discloses a printer that has such a label printing function.